7 Reasons for Youth Unemployment and How We Can Solve Them

Young people want to work! They would much prefer to have their own funds coming in, and set financial goals for themselves. They may want to purchase a car or move into their own place. However, youth unemployment is a concern that needs to be addressed. Once you understand some of the reasons behind it, solutions can start to emerge.

Poverty

One of the causes of unemployment among the youth today is poverty. Some areas of the country have issues with poverty. In those areas finding jobs is often more difficult for young people. They may have to stay at home to watch and raise their younger siblings while both of their parents work. Or, their communities may have few businesses available to offer vacant positions. Bringing resources to these neighbourhoods is important.

Schools could also look into developing more programs to help alleviate some of the struggles. For example, offering care for disadvantaged youth before and after the school day can give older siblings more time to seek work.

Poor Schools

Young people spend a great deal of time in schools; therefore, they are seriously affected by their environments. If schools have trouble with violence or drugs, the students can become absorbed in these issues as opposed to encouraging them to find jobs.

The academics at some schools may suffer because the teachers are not provided with the necessary resources. Holding fundraisers to provide basic supplies for these schools can seriously help.

Schools can implement programs to reduce or entirely halt violence and drug usage. Parents can also work with their children at home on enrichment activities.

Gang Violence

Teenagers go down a variety of different paths in life. Some of them graduate and go to study at prestigious universities. After that, they get jobs.

Others, however, become involved in gangs. They may feel as though they do not have any opportunities in the job world. Instead, they turn to gangs for a sense of safety.

One of the strategies to solve unemployment is for schools to be aware of the presence of gangs in their environment. Schools should work with parents to help keep the children safe.

When gangs and their influence are reduced, students can begin to see the benefits of taking a different path again.

Lack of Skills

For a variety of reasons, young people might not have the skills necessary to get a job. Whether they were raised in a household that did not emphasize unemployment or they have attended schools that do not have the proper resources, they may not know what it takes to obtain a job.

For example, they might not know what skills they need to develop for specific job opportunities. Or they may be unaware of how to present themselves on interviews. One solution is to prepare them through programs such as this skill training program from yourtown. Having a specific program dedicated to training for a job can encourage students to take the process seriously.

Difficult Requirements

Some young people are looking for jobs, but they are running into problems because they do not have the required experience. They often wonder how they can possibly obtain experience if no one is willing to give them a chance to get it. Unfortunately, that same question has been asked for decades, by each earlier generation as they grew up!

Another way of how to reduce youth unemployment is to encourage businesses in the community to hire the youth. Stimulating the growth of business can assist in accomplishing this goal.

When more local businesses come into an area, they should make it their mission to hire individuals from the neighbourhood, and many local businesses are willing to hire young employees.

Lack of Motivation

While some individuals are struggling to find jobs, others have all of the opportunities available for them; they just choose not to take these opportunities.

Developing courses to teach teenagers about the benefits of working is one approach. Also, some of these changes have to take place at home.

Parents who want their teenagers to work should consider providing an incentive for doing so. For example, parents may state that they are willing to pay for half of their children’s first car but only if they get jobs first.

Lack of Transportation

When people live far away from the jobs, it’s often difficult for them to get there. Promoting and supporting programs that keep major hubs of transportation alive is a way to encourage more young people to work. If they don’t drive, they rely on public transport to get them to their positions.

Youth unemployment is a serious issue because it can affect young people now and well into their future. Identifying the reasons for this problem might be jarring, but it does open the door to finding solutions that can create a better environment for young people and their families, now and for generations to come.

About Wassana Lampech

Wassana Lampech is a medical technology graduate and a freelance writer. She has been writing since her college days and has been a freelance writer for the past 4 years. You can follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/wassmam.